The present invention relates to heaters and heating systems. More particularly, the present invention relates to a heater used in ultra pure fluid heating systems which incorporates the use of sanitary fittings.
In the biomedical, medical, pharmaceutical and other process sensitive industries, there is a present need to heat ultra pure fluids, such as deionized water. There are already many conventional designs for fluid heating systems. One type of conventional system uses an elongated chamber surrounding an elongated heating element which extends along the longitudinal axis of the chamber. The system heats water or other fluids as the fluid flows through the chamber and around the heating elements of the system.
However, such conventional systems have several drawbacks. When heating fluids of this type, a major concern revolves around the fluids becoming contaminated by exposure to the environment of undesirable foreign media. Prior systems have used mechanical joints at the various points of connection of the system, including the fluid ingress and egress ports. Such mechanical joints include threaded, bolted and flanged joints. However, undesirable particle entrapment can occur in these joints. Thus, these mechanical joints must periodically be disassembled in order to remove the contaminants and clean the joints for future use.
Special tooling is often required in order to assemble and disassemble the mechanical joints. Moreover, the threads or sealing surface can become worn or damaged due to the repeated disassembly and assembly of the mechanical joints, causing a generally poor sealing surface and raising the concern of entry of contaminants into the fluid.
Many prior systems also utilize materials which are chemically reactive or corrosive. The internal surfaces of these systems may also have relatively rough interior surfaces. Aside from the purity concerns of the heated fluid, these materials and surfaces also decrease fluid handling and require additional maintenance.
Accordingly, there is a need for a novel ultra pure fluid heater and a related heating system which utilizes joints or fittings designed to prevent fluid contamination and which are easier to maintain and clean than prior mechanical joints. What is also needed is a heater which utilizes non-corrosive and highly polished materials to improve fluid handling and purity as well as increasing corrosion resistance. The present invention fulfills these needs and provides other related advantages.